Iran Protests Rage as Storms, Plane Crash Kill Dozens

Plane Crash in Colombia Kills 15

A passenger plane crashed in northern Colombia on Wednesday, killing all 15 people on board, according to Satena, the country's state-run airline. The Beechcraft 1900 aircraft "suffered a fatal accident," the airline said in a statement, without providing further details. The wreckage was located in a mountainous area.

Flight NSE 8849 took off from an unspecified city and was scheduled to land in Ocaña, near the Venezuelan border, at 12:05 local time (17:05 GMT) on Wednesday, Satena reported. Contact with the plane was lost 11 minutes before its scheduled arrival.

The official passenger list included lawmaker Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections.

Storm Kristin Claims Lives in Portugal

At least five people died as Storm Kristin swept through central and northern Portugal, causing flooding, landslides, and widespread damage. The Portuguese government described the storm as an "extreme climactic event."

Schools were closed, buildings were damaged, and travel was severely disrupted. In the coastal city of Figueira da Foz, a Ferris wheel overturned, and part of a roof was torn from a building, damaging several vehicles. Portugal has experienced a series of storms in recent days. A man died over the weekend after his car was swept away in floods.

Iran Grapples with Internet Restrictions Amid Protests

While some Iranian citizens are regaining internet access, the situation remains tightly controlled nearly three weeks after a widespread shutdown. The country cut off internet access on January 8, a move widely seen as an attempt to suppress information about a government crackdown on protesters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the internet was blocked in response to what he described as "terrorist operations." However, independent analysis suggests that much of the country remains effectively cut off from the outside world. The internet shutdown affected an estimated 92 million Iranian citizens.

Reports also emerged of protesters in Iran avoiding hospitals for treatment due to fear of arrest. Tara, a protester in Isfahan, said she and a friend were shot at by security forces. "My friend told an armed member of the security forces, 'Just don't shoot us,' and he immediately fired several shots at us," she said. Tara and her friend were then taken to a secret location for treatment.